Shrubsole targets Windies

Shrubsole celebrates one of her four wickets against Pakistan at Loughborough University

Fit-again seamer Anya Shrubsole is determined to help turn England's 17-match unbeaten T20 run into ICC World Twenty20 glory.

"Beating Pakistan this week is a big lift. We've gained a bit more knowledge about their players so when we do play them in the T20 World Cup we're in a much better place to formulate some plans and get the right result."
Anya Shrubsole Quotes of the week

Shrubsole, 20, took 4-12 on Tuesday to help set up a 2-0 series victory over Pakistan - England's first opponents when the World Twenty20 gets underway in Galle, Sri Lanka, later this month.

But before then skipper Charlotte Edwards and her side face a five-match series against the West Indies, starting at Emirates Durham ICG on Saturday - a match that's live on Sky Sports.

"We're on a really good run at the moment and it's one we're looking to continue into the West Indies series so we're in a really good place for the Twenty20 World Cup," said Shrubsole.

"It's crucial to have momentum, especially in Twenty20 cricket; once you get on a winning run the game suddenly feels a lot easier.

"Beating Pakistan this week is a big lift. We've gained a bit more knowledge about their players so when we do play them in the T20 World Cup we're in a much better place to formulate some plans and get the right result."

Skilful

Shrubsole returned to England's team this week after recovering from a quad injury which forced her to miss this summer's 3-2 NatWest Series win over India.

The Somerset bowler - who claimed series figures of 10-48 in the 4-0 away victory over New Zealand in February - picked up from where she left off, putting in a Player of the Match performance against Pakistan women at Loughborough on Tuesday.

England followed up that seven-wicket victory with a convincing 81-run win over the same opposition the following day and although Shrubsole went wicket-less this time, returning 0-9 off two overs, she feels in a good place.

"I feel pretty happy with how I'm playing," she reflected. "It's good to be back in the side having missed the series against India - the ball seems to be coming out alright so far and hopefully that will stay the case. I'm a lot more skilful bowler as a result of playing Twenty20 - you have to be.

"When you've got top-order batsmen coming at you, you need to be able to up your skills and be able to bowl slower balls and yorkers accurately - variety is crucial. Playing Twenty20 has helped me to develop my skills significantly."

Dangerous

Shrubsole now hopes to settle a score with the West Indies, who beat England 2-1 in 2010 and in the same year secured a crucial two-run victory over Edwards' side when the two teams met in the group stages of the ICC Women's World Twenty20.

Although they lost their semi-final to eventual runners-up New Zealand, Shrubsole says the West Indies - whose squad includes Stafanie Taylor, the first woman to be nominated for the ICC Cricketer of the Year award - are a force to be reckoned with.

"There's no doubting that they are a vastly improving side and a very dangerous team - they've got some very, very good cricketers in Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin in particular," she said. "They've got plenty of players capable of hitting the ball out of the park.

"There's no hiding the fact that they've had the wood over us a little bit in the past, so that's obviously something we're looking to put right in this series coming up. We certainly won't be taking them lightly in way at all."

Participation

Over the last year there has been a 12 per cent increase in the number of under-25 females participating in the Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Programme and Shrubsole hopes that the feats of the England team will inspire more girls to take up the sport.

Sky Sports will broadcast the first two matches of the series against the West Indies live on Saturday and Monday, from Emirates Durham ICG and Old Trafford respectively, ahead of the T20 internationals between England and South Africa on the same grounds and Shrubsole believes such coverage can only encourage participation.

"These double-headers are brilliant for women's cricket," she said, "because they will hopefully help to ensure that the audience for women's cricket is constantly growing.

"More and more people are watching cricket these days - including girls and hopefully more will go and play as a result, so that 10 years down the line we've got a constant flow of girls playing cricket and coming into the England set up."

Catch the first T20 international between England Women and the West Indies this Saturday from 10am on Sky Sports 1 HD and the second T20 on Monday, from 2pm on Sky Sports 1 HD.